Home Sweet Home
by What About Scout
Summary: Piper and Leo Wyatt had a great life with their daughter, Melinda, and both of their families nearby. But one day, Piper goes missing, and Leo has finally caught the man who ruined it all, and Piper is finally home, sweet, home...FINISHED!
1. Chapter 1

****

A/N: My third fic. I'm trying to keep track of what I put on when, so I know. Why I even bother, I have no idea. But I do.

Anyway, this one's one I've been working on forever, and just got up the nerve to post. I've already got about five or six chapters up, then it skips ahead to like chapters 18-20... I always write ahead, even though I'm trying to break the habit.

DISCLAIMER:** I feel horrible admitting that Brad Kern is responsible for part of Charmed, but he is-- partly. I firmly believe that we should run it. That we the people should own and run Charmed the way we want it.**

I have a dream-- no, _vision... _better yet: _premonition_-- that one day Piper and Leo will be back together on Charmed. That they will live in peace with their two sons (or more! Maybe a daughter... *ponders the possibilities*) and each other, let it be a normal life or not.

SUMMARY:** Leo is a cop (I like making him a cop. It works out pretty well, I think) working in a smaller part of San Francisco, California. The small part of the large city is almost like its own little community inside the city. He and his wife, Piper Wyatt (yes, I made her change her name. No hyphenates here, folks!) have a beautiful daughter. But one day Piper goes missing. Everyone knows who did it, but there is no proof. Will Piper ever come back? Is she even alive?**

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Leo threw the man against the brick wall. "How could you _ever_ think I wouldn't catch you?" He pulled him away and pushed him back into the wall, hard. "Where is she?" he demanded.

His two friends and five family members around him were yelling at him to stop. But no one made the move to pull him away yet. Inside, they all wanted Leo to continue and pretty much beat the living daylights out of the man.

But they couldn't let that happen. It would only be worse for Leo if they let him go through with it. No closure.

"Leo, don't do it!" his father yelled.

"Leo, you'll just make it worse," his older brother warned.

Leo still had the man in a tight grip against the brick wall in the alley. He turned his head back to the seven people trying to make him stop. "Call in for vehicle transport to the station..." he mumbled. His friends nodded, turned away, and did so. Leo turned back to the man he still had against the wall. "Don't think, even for a minuet, that you'll ever leave my sight. _Ever_." Leo leaned in close to the man's ear. "I will be following you everywhere, all the time. Every second of every day, you'll be turning to look over your shoulder wondering if I'm there.'"

"Aw, Leo, I didn't know you felt that way about me..." the man teased.

Leo threw him to the ground and drew his gun, mumbling incoherent threats. Threats that everyone around him knew he would carry out if given the chance. Immediately, one of his friends and his family members were on him. 

"Leo, think about it!" his cousin yelled at him.

"Leo, if you do this, you'll lose your badge, and you'll lose all hope of convicting him," his friend warned.

His other friend came up with another officer. No one had heard the sirens of the police car. They pulled the man up from the ground, handcuffed him, and put him inside the car.

Some bystanders were crowding around, and Leo's father was pushing them away. A few stood back a few feet off, curious.

But Leo saw or heard none of this. He backed a few unsteady steps backward and hit the brick wall he had thrown the man into. He leaned onto it. If he wasn't leaning on it, he'd have fallen.

Leo looked down at his hand. He still had the gun out. He twirled it in his hand for a moment before putting it away. He slid down the brick wall to the ground, burying his face in his hands, but not saying anything.

Adam, one of his friends from the station, saw this and pulled him up. No way was this going to happen here. Not that it ever did around people, but sometimes the stress was just too much for Leo to handle. He and Leo's brothers-- his older brother, Ron, and his younger brother, Jake-- helped him into the police car they had come in.

The people left behind were Leo's dad, Gary, uncle, Jeff, and his cousin, Tom. They looked around a little awkwardly.

"Now what?"

"Leave it to Adam, Cortez, and the boys. They'll take care of him, and we'll go in later," Gary said.

Adam took one arm, Cortez the other. Leo couldn't walk. They carried him into the back room-- his office. He slumped into the chair, resting his head in his arms on the desk.

"C'mon, Leo. You've only got until tonight," Adam encouraged, though the enthusiasm in his voice was dangerously low.

Leo's brothers came in. He didn't care.

"We'll find her, Leo," Jake said.

"Leo, you want me to pick up Melinda?" Ron asked.

From the desk, Leo nodded.

"C'mon, Leo, just till tonight."

Leo nodded sarcastically and scoffed, not showing his face. It was still hidden in his arms on the desk. They always gave him the days in little pieces. It helped a little. They told him at night, "Just till morning." And in the morning, "Just till lunchtime." Then at lunchtime, "Just till tonight." And when it got worse, they told him what Cortez was telling him now.

"Think about Melinda."

Thinking about Melinda made it worse.

Head still on his desk hid in his arms, Leo gave Cortez the lecture. "_Think_ about her? I can hardly bear to _look_ at my daughter, because I see so much of Piper in her." He finally lifted his head. He had Cortez in a stare down as he spoke, and Leo was winning.

"And it terrifies me," he continued. "It terrifies me, because I think that maybe Melinda is meant to just fill up for Piper, and we'll never find her. Think about Melinda? No, I can't..." Leo shook his head. "She's been living with Prue the past three weeks... She's four years old, now... I can't... I can't... even go near... my own daughter." He got the last sentence out slowly, between breaths.

"Okay, then I'll ask if Prue can pick her up..." Ron muttered, leaving the office to call Melinda's aunt.

Soon they all filed out. All but Adam. Adam had been Leo's best friend since before Leo could remember. He was the... third brother Leo had never had.

"So what next?" he asked.

"Make it till tonight..." Leo said from his head in his hands on the desk. A moment of painful silence later, he mumbled, "We were so close... He was right there..."

"Don't worry, Leo, we'll get him. We have to."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

****

A/N: So far so good? Hey, I like it, now I just have to convince _you guys_ to like it, too. Wish me luck! I know it's kinda original, but I never miss a good cliché.


	2. Chapter 2

****

A/N: Ah, I don't think Leo is going to shoot anyone in the leg for a while, Gryffindor620. I will seriously consider the thought, and I appreciate the enthusiasm. I really do. But I like to keep some reality in my fics and not go _too_ all out, and Leo does after all have a daughter, so I think he needs to keep his job. I'll consider him shooting something, though... Maybe having to kill someone attacking him or something... Or maybe attacking Melinda... Ooh... Possibilities... Well, let me get control of my wild imagination trying to take over my mind and body and get to Chapter 2...

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Prue picked Melinda up again. She was in preschool. When Prue went to the room, the little four-year-old went crazy.

"Aunt Pwue!" She said, not really get her "r" out.

"Hey, kiddo." Prue picked up the little girl. She'd never had kids of her own, but her husband wanted kids. Andy really did, but Prue was waiting. It wasn't the right time. Still, she enjoyed taking care of Melinda. Her little niece was always a joy to be around.

Except now.

Everyday, she asked, "Where's Mommy and Daddy?"

An innocent little question, and one that she deserved an answer to, but Prue couldn't give her the truthful one. The one that told her that Piper-- her mother-- had been gone for a month now.

And that was the truth.

Leo hadn't taken it too well. But still, neither had Prue or Phoebe. Leo was at work so often and hardly every home. It got so bad that he asked Prue if she would take care of Melinda. Melinda had been living with Prue and Andy for a few weeks now. Piper disappearing was too hard on Leo, without counting the fact that he had the entire police station out looking for her.

He knew who did it.

Dan Gordon.

The same man from earlier. On the street. But there was no evidence besides the circumstantial kind, though it was all true. Or course, none of it would fly in a Court of Law. Hard as it was for Piper to be gone, it was even harder to not know where her body was. If she was even dead. It gave way for thoughts of her being alive. She could be dead... She could be barely hanging on, or... She could be _anywhere_.

"Daddy's at work," Prue answered instinctively, the same as always, though her thoughts were elsewhere.

Melinda knew something was wrong, but didn't ask. Aunt Prue looked tired. Little Melinda didn't have any clue that her mother was probably never coming back. Prue put the little girl in the car and took her back to her house.

In Oregon, a woman stumbled into a forest ranger's cabin. A man ran to her and caught her as she fell. She looked terrible. Her ankles were bleeding from being bound together, though it looked as if she had gotten the rope off recently. Her hands were still bound, though, from behind her back, and she was barefoot. Tears were streaming down her face. Her clothes were dirty and had blood smeared on them. Her hair was down, and looked as if it would never be able to be combed out again. Her clothes had grass and dirt stains on them, mixed in with the blood, and her right leg was flowing blood. It looked as if she'd been shot above her knee a week or so ago. She fell into the ranger's arms, crying and mumbling something incoherent.

Leo went to see Melinda that night. Phoebe had wanted to go, as well, and had asked her brother-in-law if he would take her. Leo agreed.

"How you holdin' up?" Phoebe asked as she got in the car. Leo glared at her, but his blue eyes held pain and sadness. "Me too."

Melinda was in her bedroom at Prue's house when Phoebe and Leo got there a moment later. They made it to the door without saying anything. Prue opened the door and hugged both Phoebe and Leo, and let them in. Andy was in Melinda's room. She was coloring and babbling on about the puppy her Mommy was going to get her.

"Melinda's fine. You wanna see her?" Prue asked.

Leo nodded. He hadn't seen her in a couple of days. It was hard to look at her, but he had to come. Since the day she was born, Leo couldn't spend more than three days without her. Once though, when Melinda was only three months old, Leo was called out to Los Angeles to work there for a few days. He had had to stay for a week. It was the longest he'd been away from his daughter. The longest he'd been away from Piper was a month, and it was before they were married. The month seemed to go on forever, and when Leo got back, he promised he would never leave for that long at a time again.

He never did.

But now... Now she had been gone for a month, and that promise was deteriorating slowly.

Andy came out, with Melinda close behind. She looked up to see Leo there with Phoebe and Prue and screamed, "Daddy!"

The sweet little voice echoed through him. Leo scooped the little girl up while saying, "Hey, baby girl. I missed you." She wrapped her arms around his neck to hold on tighter.

"I missed you, too," the four-year-old responded.

Melinda hugged Leo again. When she poked her head out and saw Phoebe, she jumped from Leo's arms to Phoebe's.

****

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A/N: Okay, it wasn't _too_ short, right? Chapter 3 is about as long, but they get better. I do have to say that this fic is animal-oriented. Extremely. I have dog training parts and parts where they take the dogs to a park. (K-9 dogs, that is.) So if you have a problem with dogs, don't read this fiction or _Wyatt_. _Houses_ has no animals, but you never know, I can work things in. _Home Sweet Home_ is very animal-oriented. Just a warning.


	3. Chapter 3

****

A/N: Actually, now that I think about it, the first two chapters are about the same size, the first one just had longer Author's Notes. I just did a word count, too. Yeah, 2 was shorter, but only by 200 words.

Okay, that over with, I can get back on track. Sometimes being obsessive compulsive really sucks. And trust me, if anyone reading this has OCD too, then you'll know exactly what I mean.

Oh yeah, Chapter 3...

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A week later, in Oregon, the girl who turned up at the ranger's station was in the hospital. He came in to see her.

"How you feeling?" he asked.

"Um... better, I think."

"What'd the doctor say?"

"That uh... I have two broken ribs, my arm is broken, I was lucky I was only shot in my leg, and I have a moderate concussion."

"They won't let you sleep, will they?"

"Just a little."

"Oh."

"When can I go home?" she asked.

"Where do you live?"

"I-- I can't tell you that."

"No one will know, I promise."

So she began to tell her story, every now and then stopping to make sure he wouldn't tell.

Prue stood in the kitchen that same night. She was washing dishes, but was watching Melinda in the foyer. It'd been a month an a week now... Prue was counting the days that Piper had been gone.

Prue could see Melinda until Leo came down the stairs. He picked her up and carried her into the living room, out of Prue's sight.

She could hear the little girl giggling, and then the innocent little question, "Where's Mommy?" Prue set the last dish in the drainer and left the kitchen, drying her hands on a washcloth. She entered the living room. Leo had occupied the little one with her coloring book. For a four-year-old, she colored all too well.

Leo looked up to see Prue standing there. She had come to the manor with Melinda so that the little girl could see her dad. When Prue saw Leo's face, she knew something was going through his mind. Rapidly. She motioned for him to follow her, which he did, and they went through the sunroom and outside. It was dark, but from the light on in the sunroom, they could see fine.

"What's going on in there?" Prue asked. Leo didn't answer. "You okay?" she asked, concern swelling in her voice.

"I had him, Prue... I had him... right there..."

Dan.

"I know."

"And he acted as if nothing was wrong. Like nothing had happened..."

"You'll get him, Leo, don't worry about that." No answer came, so Prue went on. "I mean, she could still be out there, right? Coming home?" Still, no answer. "And-- And then, after Piper comes home, she can... She can identify him and... And we'll all live happily ever after." Leo smiled a little, which made Prue smile, too. "Don't worry."

"I worry."

"...I know." Prue pulled Leo into a hug.

Doctors rushed down the hall.

The woman that had been brought in did not want any information given about her. She had only told the one person, Rick Jackson, about herself, and had asked that he not tell. He had asked why, and she'd told him that she didn't want to be found. Not by certain people.

She asked if Rick would come in the next day. She wanted to give him a number to contact someone. But she wouldn't be able to. The doctors were rushing into her room. She fell into a coma, mainly due to her injuries. Internal bleeding had occurred, as well, and the doctors did all they could to save her. They didn't see many chances of her pulling out, but she was mainly stable by the end of the day.

Three days later, Dr. Carter approached Rick Jackson. Since he was the only one who knew who the woman was, he was the only one who they could talk to.

"We don't know who her family is, and it'd be best to talk to them first."

"I understand that, but she asked me not to tell anyone," Rick said.

"Under these circumstances, though... Any family member. A-- a parent, sibling..."

"I'm sorry." As much as Rick wanted to tell, the woman had asked him not to, and he had always kept his word.

"Did she mention any family members?"

"Yes, but only gave me one name."

"If you could--"

"It's slipped my mind," Rick said.

Now it'd been a month and a half since Piper was gone. The same day that the Jane Doe in Oregon went into a coma. That was at noon, and now, around three o'clock, Leo roamed the streets, just... patrolling.

Jake and Thomas watched from the other side of the street. Tom was younger than Leo, but then again, so was Jake. Two years younger, to be exact. But Tom was a year younger than Jake. The two watched Leo walk down the street on the sidewalk. Not in uniform, not that he ever wore it. He never had before, and never would. Neither would his family members or Adam and Cortez, though, either. It wasn't Leo to dress like the cop that got the rep for eating donuts in their past time.

Every family member on Leo's father's side was a cop. It was like a family tradition, that no one felt obligated to break. Another was Never Wear Uniforms. It was pants, leather or trench coat, badge in wallet. Always had been, always will be. In Leo's case, though, when he had Kia, he was forced to wear the K-9 jacket, but he didn't complain all too much.

The town in upper California wasn't a thing like San Francisco or Los Angeles-- about ten thousand people tops-- so people knew people. Quite a few knew Leo for patrolling downtown.

Now, Leo turned down one street, and saw a little group standing off to the side near a building. He didn't notice his younger brother and cousin following from the other side of the street. The group of about five didn't budge when they saw Leo, not that he expected them to.

He looked up at them and stopped. "What?" he asked.

"Leo, Leo, Leo. How ya been?" one of women asked, turning to face Leo.

"Fine, Carrie, you?"

"Oh, you know, the usual... A few Missing Persons cases, but nothing much."

Leo said nothing.

"Find anything for Piper's case yet?" one of the men asked.

Leo still didn't answer. He just kept walking.

The man turned back to the group, laughing a little.

"Let off, Mike. He's got it hard. I mean, he hasn't seen his daughter in like, two days." The woman who made the comment looked at Leo go out of site, turning down a different street. She also noticed his brother and cousin, but didn't say anything about it. "I mean, what if you couldn't see Nicole for a few days?" Mike didn't answer, mulling over the thought of not seeing his daughter. "And to top it off, your wife is missing," Jessica added.

"Whatever."

The five lawyers split up.

****

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A/N: It was longer. When I wrote this chapter, I was experiencing a disease that is cousin to writer's block. I call it the Can't Write Anything Good virus, so don't hate me-- I think it sucks. Anyone can agree. The donuts and dress code thing... I don't know what to say... I could go on forever talking about how much I think I didn't do well on this chapter, but I won't. If you like, please convince me otherwise, because the next chapter is long, too, and I can't say I'm... I'm not crazy about it.

PLEASE CONVINCE ME OTHERWISE!!!!!!!! (unless you didn't like it, either. Then feel free to agree)


	4. Chapter 4

****

A/N: Chapter Four. Well... I really have nothing to say, except for one thing: Thank you for making me feel better about Chpt3. It inspired me to put up... Chapter 4!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Hey, Leo, want a job?" Adam asked one night.

Leo looked up from his desk. He signed his name quickly on a paper from a case the week before and stood up, leaving his office. "Sure, what is it?"

"Just a nine-one-one call.... On the west side..." The west side always was the rich side of town, and it was fun to mess with them. Sometimes, on a holiday, the whole precinct would drive through there, honking and running sirens. It was a fun pastime, and a perk to working at the precinct.

"Yeah, I'll go. How many cars?"

"Um... Two cars, a K-nine truck-- that'd be you--" Leo nodded. "And two fire trucks."

"Why all that?"

"Possible drug bust with a shooting."

"Oh... Sounds good. Where's Kia?" Leo asked.

"In the back, of course." As Leo put on his jacket that designated him one of the five dog handlers with the K-9 police and went to the back to get the police dog ready, Adam called, "And hurry with her!"

Leo was at the kennels quickly. He was on the outside, and the five dogs were in. He went to Kia's kennel and whistled for her. She bounded out, ready for a run.

A year ago, Leo finally applied for a dog. Piper had pushed him to do it. He'd been trained to be a handler, and knew how to train and work with the dogs, and Piper figured it was time to get one. Dogs were good protectors. Still, though, Leo couldn't take Kia home... He was working on it, though.

Leo slid and locked the bulletproof jacket on Kia. This one had three strips of reflectors on the sides and back so that she could be seen at night. Hooking her leash to the harness that ran inside of the vest, he put her in the kennel in the back of the truck, told her to hush and to stay, and pulled around to the front. He followed the two other cars out.

The fire trucks were already there. Leo pulled up on the opposite side of the street, watching one of the cars pull into the driveway of the house they were headed for. They were blocking it. Taking Kia out, he ran her across the street on her leash. She was all too excited. She loved this job.

Leo walked up to one of the firemen. "What's going on here?"

"All we know is they--"

"Who?"

"There's three people in there. Three alive. One apparently was shot. They say it was accidental. We've got a negotiator here already, but those three are probably high and drunk. I wouldn't send her in, though," the man said, looking at Kia.

"K." Leo turned and saw some people coming out of their houses. Turning to his dog, he said, "Sit. Stay." She did, and watched him go back across the street. She saw the people coming out of their houses and whimpered. She let out a high-pitched bark and fidgeted. Leo heard her over the noise and turned around. He pointed at her and yelled, "You _stay_, Kia. _Stay_." She sat back down from where she had gotten up, her tail swishing furiously.

Leo went up to the house with the people coming out. One in particular caught his attention. A little girl, mother, and father were standing in their doorway. They little girl ran out toward the fire trucks, but also right at Leo. The mother was about to run after her when Leo scooped her up, the same as if she were Melinda, and brought her back to the house.

"Oh, thank you so much!" the mother said gratefully, taking the little girl. "Kayla, you know better than to leave the house. Especially now," she said, holding her daughter.

The father looked at Leo. "What's going on?"

Leo knew not to tell the whole story. It bothered him that they couldn't. The people had the right to know, especially if they were across the street from the lights of the cars and fire trucks.

"There was a call about possible drug handling, and we've come to check it out."

"We heard a gunshot earlier and called in. It was about ten minuets ago."

"Yes, we know about that. It'd probably be safer to stay in the back of your house, away from windows, or in the basement. Nothing's for certain yet, but it's a precaution."

The little girl pointed across the street. "Doggie."

Leo turned around to see Kia on the sidewalk where Leo had put her, sitting restlessly. He turned back around. "Yep. My dog."

"Thanks again," the mother said.

"Sure. And we'll try to clear this up as soon as possible."

Leo left as the little family went inside. He called Kia and picked up her leash. She bounced around, and he told her, "Down." She stopped abruptly. Leo walked up to Cortez. "So..."

"Looks like their negotiator's working. They want someone to take the body out."

"Who?" Leo asked, wondering who was going to go in for it. Cortez stared at his friend. "Me? No, no, no, no. No. Not me."

"Leo, you're the one with the dog. You'll be in and out quick, and'll have backup. Me, a fireman, and three others. Um... Joe, Mark, and Rick."

Leo sighed, defeated. "...Fine." He unleashed Kia and tossed the leash aside. Finding the three others going in with him with the fireman, he and Cortez joined. "So?"

"It's Follow-The-Leader all the way. You and Kia, and we'll follow."

Leo sighed again. "Okay. Let's just get this over with..."

Calling Kia, Leo moved toward the house slowly. The others would follow up once he was in the door. He called up to the men inside the house. Reaching the door, he knocked hard on it. It opened. Motioning for the others to follow, Leo and Kia slipped inside.

Moving slowly through the house, with backup at the door, he called to see if anyone was there. A call came back from the attic. Still moving slowly, Leo made his way up to the attic. No one was there on the way up.

Reaching the attic door, Leo knocked again. A scared, muffled cry came from inside. It was a woman. "Police, open up!"

"I-- I can't!" The answer came from the other side of the door-- in the attic. It was a kid, probably in his teens.

Leo tried the door. It was open. _Not the smartest of people..._ he thought as he looked at his dog and opened the door. Kia snorted, as if thinking the same thing. Looking inside, Leo could see that no one was armed. There were two teenagers and an adult. A woman was tied to a chair was crying. Her clothes were torn off and she was bruised. A small line of blood trailed down the right side of her face from a cut on her forehead and from the corner of her lip. A body lay on the floor beside her. She was terrified, and it was obvious.

Leo gave Kia a "stay" command. "Wanna tell me what's goin' on in here?" Leo asked calmly. The teenagers were shaking. "Come on..." he coaxed.

"It-- It was an accident. No one was supposed to get hurt."

"Y-- Yeah, man. Don't throw us away!"

"Hey, hey, all you have to do is come down here and take a little ride with some of my friends. They'll take you to the station so that you can call your parents, and we'll clear this up."

Leo stepped aside letting the teenagers run out of the attic. He told Kia to stay once more. They had it coming to them down there. Still, confused and scared, they ran out, leaving Leo with the adult and the woman. The teens screamed as they ran into the others downstairs.

The man staggered about, obviously drunk, probably high, and not caring at all about what was going on. Beside him was a bag. Drugs most likely. He moved toward the woman on the chair and Leo drew his gun. The man pulled out his own and shot. Luckily, he was probably seeing doubles, and shot too high. Leo, though trained to go for the knees, shot at the man's hand instead. He threw the gun in pain and fury, and staggered and fell. Kia ran up to him, growling in his face, and probably spitting, too. The man didn't dare move.

Cortez, Mark, and Rick ran up. They saw the man on the floor, holding his hand and staring at the growling dog coming down on him. Mark and Rick pulled him up and handcuffed him, carrying him back downstairs. Cortez radioed for a gurney for the body. Leo called Kia to his side.

Leo knelt on the floor by the woman. The only clothes she had on was a bra that was unhooked and sliding down her arms, and a pair of panties that were slid down to her legs. She was crying uncontrollably.

Leo untied her and pulled her up. He wasn't wearing his coat, but his police jacket. The woman sat back on the chair as Leo went across the room to where Cortez and two firemen were puling the dead body onto the gurney. Leo took Cortez's coat, which was longer than his K-9 one and realized the coat was his.

"Thief," Leo said.

"Hey, don't go pointing fingers," Cortez countered. He helped lift the body onto the gurney and wheeled it out with the firemen.

Leo went back to the woman. He pulled her up again and wrapped the coat around her shoulders. She leaned against him, cold, trembling, and crying. Wrapping one arm around her shoulders to steady her, Leo walked with the woman downstairs and outside, Kia on his other side.

People were coming out of their houses, frightened and confused. A couple of officers asked Leo if he needed help, but he had it. He helped the scared woman across the street to his SUV and opened the back door where the two kennels were. Kia sat and stayed where she was, though Leo hadn't given her a command.

The woman, wrapped in only a coat that reached her knees, was still trembling. Leo made sure she was sitting on the tailgate and went around to the other side of the car. He opened the passenger door and pulled out two blankets. He brought them back to the woman, wrapping one around her shoulders, and the other she held up to her chest and stomach.

Leo was about to go to the houses to push the people back inside when the woman grabbed his arm. "Please-- don't go."

Leo stared at her for a moment. She was too scared to leave. "...Okay..." He called from the driver's seat in his car for officers to get the people back into their houses, and three came.

Leo turned back to the woman. Terrified and insecure, she fell into his arms. Not wanting to force her back across the street and into a police car, Leo pulled her up and around to the passenger seat of the SUV. He quickly put Kia in the kennel in the back and closed the door. Getting into the driver's seat, Leo radioed to note that he was taking her back to his place. He would bring her in to the station the next day. A call came back that it was okay to do so.

Leo was known for taking victims and witnesses back to his home to care for them overnight and let them calm down. When that happened in the past, Piper would always lend a helping hand, and Melinda would be occupied in her room, usually with Piper, or coloring.

"I have to go back to the station first," Leo said.

"Why...?" the voice asked quietly. The woman had stopped sobbing a lot, and now silent tears streamed down her face. She was still trembling, too.

"I have to drop the dog off. But you're not going there. You're coming back with me."

"...Why-- Why are you doing this?"

"Because it's my job. I help people, and right now, I think you need some help." Leo pulled into the back of the precinct. He unloaded Kia and put her away. She went into her kennel with a treat. Leo hung up her vest and leash and got back into the SUV. "We'll be there in a few minuets, and you can tell me what happened."

The woman nodded weakly.

As Leo had said, they were at his house in a few minuets. Thankfully, Prue and Phoebe hadn't brought Melinda over. Leo brought the woman out and helped her to the door. He helped her inside, closing the door behind him.

He brought the woman to the living room and sat her on the couch. She still only had the coat, and had discarded the blankets in the car. She nearly fell asleep on the couch the second she hit it.

"Hang on, okay? I'll get some clothes for you."

Leo left her, though she didn't seem to notice. She looked to be Piper's size, so Leo got her some of Piper's clothes. He came back out with a pair of jeans and a long t-shirt. That was all she needed.

The woman, with Leo's help, moved slowly toward the back room, where she could get dressed. A few minuets later, Leo could hear her moving around the room. He realized it was Melinda's room that she was in, and went down the hall and into the room.

The woman was moving slowly about the room, looking at pictures. She looked much calmer, but was trembling a little still. She looked at a picture of Melinda, Prue, and Phoebe and smiled a little.

"She's beautiful... Your daughter?"

"Yes."

"And... Your wife?" She gestured vaguely around Prue and Phoebe's faces in the picture.

"Her sisters."

"Oh..." The woman moved about the room a little more, coming across a picture of Piper, Leo, and Melinda. "Then... this." She held up the picture from across the room for Leo to see.

"Yeah." Leo smiled a little and nodded, sighing.

"They're not home?"

"No. My daughter lives with her aunt, and uh... Haven't seen my wife in a while."

The woman set the picture down and looked at Leo. "Divorce...? Business trip...?"

She wasn't technically being nosy, just wanting to know who was in the house, which was fair, considering she didn't know Leo. A lot of people asked questions, and usually Leo was okay with answering them. But this was a different question. Leo sighed. "...Uh, no. She's uh... She's missing."

"Oh. Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to push."

"No, it's... okay." It wasn't okay. "...Come on, explain what happened."

The woman followed Leo out, the painful memory that had been pushed out of her head for a brief moment coming back, and with it the tears. She sat across from him on a couch in the living room.

"I was uh... coming upstairs... And these four guys were going through my house. They uh..." She sobbed and didn't finish the sentence. She didn't need to. "And beat me and... God it was so scary..." She was crying again now. "And they took me upstairs and tied me to a chair. They got into this fight over some drugs. I guess they had been in my house before, since they were talking about where... Where they hid them a few weeks ago... They started fighting and one guy got shot. Oh, God I was so scared..."

"You'll have to talk to some investigators tomorrow, okay?"

"...I think I can..."

"Good. ...But that's tomorrow... Here, I'll show you a room." Leo helped the woman up and down the hall to his room.

"This looks like your room. ...Where are you going to sleep?"

"I don't think I'll sleep much tonight. But you should."

The woman smiled. "Thanks."

"Sure. ...And by the way, what's your name?"

"Melissa. Melissa Crane."

"Leo Wyatt."

"Thanks again."

"Anytime."

The next day, Leo took Melissa back to the station. She was questioned, and Leo told what he knew. The teenagers and adult were questioned, too.

"I got the one on the left," Leo said from behind the one-way glass. He and Adam were standing there, watching the teens together.

"Not fair," Adam said. That was the teen he wanted. They always made a game with the teenagers. Frightened them a little. Play good cop, bad cop.

"Not again, you two. Come on..." Cortez said, coming up to Leo and Adam. "Try Paper, Rock, Scissors."

Leo and Adam played Paper, Rock, Scissors, and Leo got the younger kid. He was fifteen, the other seventeen.

"Ha."

"Yeah, yeah. You want coffee or water?"

"Uh..." Leo looked through the one-way glass to the fifteen-year-old, shivering in the interrogation room. "Both."

The trick was to play nice with the kids and give them lots of coffee and water. After a few hours, they'd have to go to the bathroom. But they'd keep taking the drinks from fear. Soon, they'd _really _have to go. They wouldn't be let out until they cracked, though. It always worked, and sometimes they needed a janitor, but only on certain occasions.

It worked this time, too. The kids' stories matched to each other's as well as Melissa's. The shady man who didn't talk much went to Officer Corday, and spilled like a baby. Corday was known for her attitude toward criminals. No one had ever gotten through her interrogations without watching their step around her afterward. The teens and man were sent to the custody of their lawyers, and Melissa, still shaken up, went home. She would be in therapy with a group from the hospital.

****

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

****

A/N: Okay, if I didn't follow exact police procedure in a 911 call, then forgive me, I've never been part of one, if you don't count the time all these police cars and fire trucks came and blocked my driveway looking for my neighbors... But I kinda made up stuff. I figure only certain special officers are allowed to bring a victim home, and since I'm writing this, Leo is now one of those special officers.

(Okay, he didn't shoot anything good, but he shot a guy. And he shoots another guy better than that, too, so the hand thing was just a taste.)


	5. Chapter 5

****

A/N: It has been waaaaaaaay too long. Sorry about the wait, but my computer has a virus and I couldn't even get online for a while. Then, since Tuesday is the last day of school (finally!), we have a lot of homework. No fair for us kids.

Leo found Prue waiting outside the station for him.

"Whatcha need, Prue?"

"Nothing... I just brought Melinda here to see you." Prue smiled.

"Oh?" Melinda ran out from behind Prue and Leo picked her up. "Hey!"

"Are you taking Kia out today?" Melinda asked innocently.

"Yes, I think so." Once a week, Kia got training. Usually it was with Leo, so that they could work together.

"Can I watch?"

"Yes, you can."

"I think I'll stay for this. Keep an eye on Melinda..." Prue said. It was a hobby to watch Leo and Adam work with their dogs. The difference? Adam took Sam home. Leo was waiting to take Kia, but the time wasn't right. Though having the guard dog home now was a good idea...

Prue followed Leo and Melinda, in Leo's arms, around to the back, where Adam already had Sam and Kia out, no leashes. The area was built by the K-9 Unit of the San Francisco 12th Precinct Police Department. Kia, Sam, and three other police dogs were trained for lessons in agility, searching, and attack. Kia and Sam were considered the best, of course, to Adam and Leo, and the dogs often competed.

With a few different quick commands, Leo sent Kia up a wooden ladder that led to a roof. The flat roof was for the dog to run across. She climbed down the other side of it on a steep, nearly vertical ladder.

Next came the A-Frame. She ran up, using the steps to help get a footing, and down. She climbed over a barrel A-Frame after that, and almost slipped. But, Leo gave her the command to keep going, and she finished up, and down. She ran across a teeter-totter with no problems, and across a thin piece of wood about ten feet off the ground. She finished the agility course, jumping through the hoops, over the hurdles, through the tunnels, and between the weaves. She did it all without Leo even having to move.

"Beat her time," Adam told Sam. Kia's time was one minute, thirty seconds. Adam send Sam out after Kia came back in. He completed his time in one minute, thirty-three seconds.

"So...?"

Melinda was busy petting Kia and Sam, and they were liking her face clean. Both Kia and Sam, as well as the other three dogs, loved kids. It was a mandatory skill for the police dogs. Kia and Sam, from the same parents, but different litters, were the perfect breed. Their mother was a German Shepherd, their father a Belgian Malinois, known for its intelligence and speed. Kia and Sam got the best traits of both; strength, loyalty, courage, smarts, and speed.

Prue came up and picked Melinda up. "I think you should come back home now. You look tired," she said.

Leo came over, letting Adam watch the two dogs. "Taking her home?" he asked Prue. It was hard to watch them leave, but Leo was busy.

"Yeah, I think so. I'll see you tonight then?"

"Uh, yeah. I'll be there after dinner."

"K."

"Bye Daddy, I love you."

"Love you, too." Leo kissed the top of Melinda's head, ruffled her hair, and watched them go.

Adam came up, the dogs outside playing. "_Now_ can we have some fun with them?"

Leo turned around to face his friend. "You get Jeff, Tom, and Jo, I'll get the dogs."

"Sounds good."

Since it was mid-spring, cool out, and the ground had dried already so that it wasn't soggy or damp, the dogs got to go to the park once a week to have fun and play together. The five officers in the K-9 Unit knew some of the dogs that are regulars at the Robert A. Stuart park. There were a lot of kids, and when the dogs weren't being taken to schools, they were at the park or working.

Kia, Sam, Shadow, Berry, and Zing were happy to go for a ride, and went into the truck easily. They hopped into the bed of the truck and barked and howled together, jumping around.

Leo drove, with Adam in the cab with him. Jeff, Tom, and Jo sat in the bed of the truck, holding the dogs down. The park wasn't far.

As soon as the dogs saw the park, it took everything Jeff, Tom, and Jo had to hold them down. As soon as the truck stopped, the dogs, who had been leashed on the way, jumped out, pulling the three people with them. Leo took Kia's leash, Adam took Sam's. Jo took her dog, Zing, while Jeff and Tom took their dogs, Shadow and Berry.

The dogs pulled their owners down the path. When the door closed, the dogs' leashes were off, and they shot out across the ten-acre-fenced-in area. The four dogs that were already there greeted them happily. One, a Labrador, jumped over the small Zing, who fell to his side, literally smiling.

Leo walked to one of the tables. One person was already sitting there, watching her two dogs. The other two dog owners were playing with their dogs, the police dogs getting their noses in where they could instead of exploring just yet.

"I didn't know the K-9 Unit brought their dogs out here," the woman said, though she hadn't looked at Leo. She watched her two dogs go out of site, and finally turned to look at him. "Come here often?"

"Every week or so..." Leo looked on as Kia and Berry ran off toward water. "Get back here!" Leo yelled, standing up. He didn't want the dogs in the pond yet. They came back, tails wagging slowly, ears down guiltily. "Stay up here," he told them. They ran off with Zing, Sam, and Shadow. "They're good dogs, whether they know it or not."

"They seem like it."

"Daddy!" the voice yelled.

Leo turned around to see Phoebe, Prue, and Melinda coming up. He met them halfway and walked back to the tables, Melinda in his arms. "How'd you know I'd be here?" Leo asked.

"Because you guys bring the dogs out every week, and this day happened to fall on the week," Phoebe explained.

Leo looked at Melinda, who smiled fiercely. For a moment, Leo got a glimpse of Piper there, and had to close his eyes and catch his breath. It was creepy when that happened, and it happened very often.

"So, Leo, think you'll be home the whole night?" Phoebe asked.

"Yeah, I think so."

"Good," Prue said. "Because I have a date tonight, so I'm dropping your daughter on you."

Leo looked at Melinda and smiled a little. He nodded, and Shadow came up with Jo and Jeff.

"Uncle Jeff!" Melinda squealed. "Aunt Jo!" Jo wasn't really Melinda's aunt, but most of the people at the station knew everybody's family, so Melinda referred to them all as "Aunt" or "Uncle", with, of course, the exception of Tom, Leo, and Gary.

When the dogs were leashed and leaving the park, Melinda reached for Kia's leash from he other side of Leo. He moved the leash to his other hand so that Melinda could hold onto it, too.

When they got to the end of the path, while the others loaded the dogs, Melinda's eyes were on a few kids playing soccer. Kia and Shadow saw them, too, and the others did soon as well.

There were about seven kids playing soccer. Kia, knowing what soccer was, became hard to hold, shoving all of her might into getting away and playing. Leo told her to stop and sit, and she reluctantly did.

The ball rolled in front of her, and Kia couldn't resist. She jumped on it, and it rolled away from her. Leo turned around after lifting Melinda into the car and saw Kia running off. He called her, but Kia was wrapped in the ball. The kids came running for it, and Leo and Jo went after Kia. Zing saw what was going on and followed Jo and Leo. The other dogs and people stayed back. Melinda watched with curious eyes.

Kia reached the kids playing, still with the ball. She'd mastered hitting and batting things around long ago, and soccer was one of her favorite sports to play in her leisurely time.

One of the kids, a boy, looked up at Leo and Jo. They all looked to be about fifteen to seventeen. "He yours?"

"Yeah, sorry." Leo took Kia by the strap on her harness that designated her a police dog. He pulled her back, after some struggle with the strong dog.

"It's a police dog?"

"She. Both of them are," Jo said, noticing Zing. "Zing!" she called. He turned and ran back to her.

Leo commanded Kia to sit and stay, and she did, not wanting to get into trouble after her stunt. "Sorry about her."

"No problem. Never seen any police out here. Bustin' someone?"

Jo looked at the kid who asked the question almost disapprovingly. "They're having fun."

"Oh, well..."

"But they need to get back," she added.

"Hey, they can play with us anytime. So long as they don't cheat."

Leo looked at Jo. "Let Kia play, at least. I've been working her too hard. Zing, too. They're the only ones who know how."

Jo sighed. "Fine..." she said.

"Go," Leo said quietly to Kia, who ran off after the soccer ball.

Jeff ran up. "Leo!"

"What?" Leo turned around.

"We've uh... There's a problem."

"What is it?"

"We just got radioed. Dan uh... Leo... He got let out on a technicality."

"What?"

"Not enough evidence, Leo. Whatever he did, even if he... If he did do something to Piper, he cleaned up after himself all too well."

"What?" Leo asked again.

"We gotta go-- now. Meet him at the station."

"Yeah. Yeah." Leo called Kia and Zing, and ran with Jo back to the truck. The kids left, figuring they were going to bust someone.

"What's wrong, Daddy?" Melinda asked.

Leo looked at his daughter in the middle seat in the truck. He smiled a little. "Nothing for you to worry about, K?"

"K." Melinda smiled.

Jeff took the other side of the truck. Adam loaded the dogs onto the back and he, Jo, and Tom got in the bed. They left and were at the station quickly.

Tom scooped Melinda up and took her into the back with Jo. Adam stopped Leo just before he reached the door. "Don't do anything stupid, got it?"

Leo nodded a little, and Adam followed Tom and Jo into the back. Jeff followed Leo in. Dan was in Cortez's office. Some people were watching the people inside the office, though the blinds were down. They could hear Cortez and another, unrecognizable voice, yelling. Leo and Jeff came up, past the crowding officers, and Leo knocked on the door.

"What?" a voice shot.

"Cortez, it's me."

"Uh... Come in, I guess..."

Leo came in, followed by Jeff. Jeff closed the door, keeping the few peeking people out. Dan was sitting in a chair, accompanied by a lawyer.

"Back to where we were..." the lawyer said like a snob. Leo recognized him as Mike Lowry, one of the lawyers from the street.

"What're you doing here?" Leo asked.

"My client came to me for help. Is that a problem, officer?"

Leo said nothing. Dan was beaming. Soaking up all the glory. Leo watched for a moment, then said, "I'll let you go, Dan."

Dan grinned.

"If you tell me where she is."

The grin faded. "I told you, Wyatt, I didn't do anything to Piper. How could I hurt the woman I love?" he asked mockingly.

Leo grimaced. He knew what Dan was doing, but couldn't stop him. "Where is she? North? East, maybe?"

When Dan had disappeared, it was the same week as Piper. He'd caught a plane to Montana. First class, two people.

"Who went to Montana with you?" Leo asked.

"My sister."

No name was given, since Dan was the one with the tickets. The leads stopped there. Nothing. Nothing was left to prove it was Dan, though everyone knew it was, but there was nothing they could do about it.

"You don't have a sister, Dan."

"You don't know that."

Leo said nothing. "...Where is she?" he asked quietly after a moment.

"I don't know."

Leo left. He couldn't stay in there without having the feeling of killing Dan, and that... That wouldn't be right. Well, it would. But no. No, it wouldn't.

There was nothing he could do, and left it up to Cortez and Jeff. As soon as he left, the yelling resumed. This time, Jeff was in it, and Dan was, too. Leo knew it was Dan-- everyone did. Everyone knew Dan took Piper, but he wouldn't admit it, and could get immunity soon from the DA's office if he went for it.

Outside, Melinda was in Tom's arms, waving goodbye to the dogs. Leo took her from him and put her in the SUV. Unlike the dog, Leo could take the car home. And he had Melinda tonight, much against his will. It wasn't that he didn't love his daughter, because she meant everything to him, but it was hard to see her, because he saw Piper in her so much. But Prue hadn't given him a choice, so he had her for the night.

Leo tucked her into bed and made sure she was asleep before leaving her room, leaving the door open a crack. Melinda said something about liking her bed better, even though she liked staying with Aunt Prue.

At about three in the morning, Leo realized he was still awake. He hadn't been able to sleep at all, thinking. Thinking about Melinda, Dan, Piper... Just thinking. About everything.

"...Daddy?"

Leo looked behind him. The little voice came from the edge of the living room, where Melinda was standing. Leo was sitting on the couch, watching TV. Melinda was standing in her pajamas, clutching the arm of a teddy bear. She'd left it there when she went to Prue's, and was happy to have it back.

"What is it, sweetie?" Leo asked.

Melinda didn't move a muscle. "I can't sleep," she said in her innocent little voice.

"C'mere," Leo groaned, nodding in his direction. He moved over to make room for Melinda on the couch, finding his muscles were stiff from sitting still for so long.

Melinda scurried to the couch quickly. She curled up next to her Daddy. He wrapped one arm around her little body, and she curled up against his chest, holding her teddy bear close.

"Why can't you sleep?" Leo asked the four-year-old.

"I keep thinking about Mommy," Melinda said simply, as if nothing was wrong or sad about that sentence.

Leo drew in a sharp breath and let it out slowly. "...What about her?"

"I wonder where she went."

Leo had to smile a little. "Don't worry about Mommy."

Melinda looked up at Leo with her serious eyes. She poked him in the chest with her pointer finger. "You _have to_ tell me when she comes back," she commanded.

Leo smiled. "I will."

Softer, Melinda asked, "Pwomise?" in her baby voice.

Leo nodded slightly. "Promise."

Melinda curled up and was soon asleep. As soon as Leo knew she was fast asleep, he picked her up and carried her into her room, setting her on her bed gently, and tucked her in.

She didn't stir, which was good. Leo kissed the top of her forehead and went downstairs and outside. He stood on the front porch for a long time, leaning against the railing.

****

A/N: Okay, if you don't like dogs, then I'm guessing you didn't like this chapter all that much. But I _love_ dogs, and if I could have a dog like Kia or any of the other K-9 dogs to show my little mutt the ropes, I'd be in heaven.

Anyway, hope you liked it. I'm trying to find ways to get more Prue and Phoebe in and I will in the next couple of chapters. By the way, sorry for any spelling/grammar mistakes. I didn't read this chapter over. I know, I know, I should have, but it was either get it up with some mistakes or wait till Wednesday.


	6. Chapter 6

****

A/N: okay, I thought some of this chappie was a little... cheap. Especially the school thing. But I was out of ideas (it's hard to dish 'em out, people!) and I was thinking about our school's Fall Festival when some K-9 officers from our police department brought in their dogs.

It'd been two weeks since she went into a coma, and there was no change in the woman. Doctors pressed Rick with questions, but he never answered them.

He came into her room everyday, and promised that the second she woke, he would call. She'd given him a name and a number to call, but that was all as for family. She didn't even mention siblings or parents, just one person.

He knew her name, where she lived... Everything about her that the doctors could use. But he couldn't risk it. She'd also told him why she was there.

She reminded him not to call police. Never to call the police. For more than one reason. For too many reasons. And he respected that, but the police had come at the hospital's mention of a woman in her condition. But Rick had managed to fend them off, remarkably, and now that she was in a coma, and since the police could do nothing, they had decided to wait until she woke.

If she woke.

A few days before, though, they approached Rick with a drawn picture of the woman, saying that they would at least bring it around town and see if anyone knew her.

"Not worth it," Rick had said. "No one'll know her."

Two months. Piper had been gone for two months. Melinda had stayed with Leo for another night, but went back to Prue's after that. He wasn't ready for her. Not yet.

He tracked Dan everywhere he went. Since Dan had gotten out on bail, as well as a lack of evidence, Leo had since made a hobby of following him.

Everywhere.

But now, he was driving with Jo and Adam to a local elementary school. Zing, Kia, and Sam were in the back of the SUV. Leo was driving. It'd been a long time since he'd been to a school with Kia, so this was a good trip.

"Left up here," Jo said. She pointed.

"I know, I know," Leo retorted. He took it back immediately. "Sorry," he mumbled.

But Jo paid him no mind. Leo'd been edgy for a while now. It was one of the reasons that Melinda had gone back to stay with Prue. Besides that, Leo was never home.

"It's okay," she said. "We all--"

"I don't want to talk about it," Leo said.

"Leo..."

"I said, 'I _don't_ want to talk about it."

Jo said nothing more. They pulled into the playground in the back of the school, where the kids would soon be. Leo was first out. Adam, on the other side, was second, and Jo climbed from the back seat and out Leo's door.

In the back of the SUV, Leo grabbed Kia's designating harness, and his coat. He took off his trench coat and replaced it with the shorter, black jacket with the radio on it. He only wore it when he had the dogs.

While Kia was in her kennel, Leo got the harness on her. He rolled up her leather leash. The leash was at least twenty feet long, and had a few knots in it for places to hold. He hung it on a side hook of the SUV.

Jo and Adam were done with their dogs at the same time as Leo. Kids started to come out of the school, each class in a line, the kids jumpy and excited. Zing and Sam were out of their kennel, pulling with all their might toward the kids. Kia was whimpering from her kennel.

"Shh," Leo told her.

"Zing," Jo threatened. He quieted. "Heel." He sat on her left side.

"Sam." Sam, an older dog than the year-and-a-half-old Zing and three-year-old Kia, knew what Adam wanted. He sat by his left side, quiet.

"Okay, kids, over here. Sit on the grass," a teacher instructed. The kids obeyed, chattering and talking, and squealing about the dogs.

As soon as the teacher had the thirty kids quiet, she motioned for more. When they were all outside, there were almost a hundred kids sitting on the grass. The teachers got them quiet.

"Now remember, kids, these police officers have busy schedules, so make it worth their while to be here. What to we say?"

Mostly in unison, the elementary kids recited, "At Washington, everyone achieves. No exceptions, no excuses."

"I see you have an enthusiastic crowd," Adam said. A few teachers laughed. "Okay... I don't really know where to start... Haven't done this in a while."

Jo took the lead. "My name's JoAnne Renshaw. I'm one of the officers on the S.F.P.D."

"I'm Adam Paulen. I'm the chief of the S.F.P.D."

"And I'm Leo Wyatt. One of the officers, like Jo."

"We're all with the San Francisco Police Department, but we're also part of the K-9 Unit, or K-9 _Squad_..."

"K-9 _Team_..." Jo mumbled.

"Any way you say it, we're three of five officers at the S.F.P.D. that have gone through training to apply for dogs," Adam said. "With a show of hands, how many kids have a dog?"

More than half the kids raised their hands.

"And how many people consider their dogs pets? Or part of the family?" Leo asked, taking a step away from the SUV. He held a hand in the direction of Kia to keep her quiet.

About the same amount of people raised their hands.

"These dogs are different, though. Jo and Adam take their dogs home to have pets after hours, but in the daytime, their doing a job. They find people, and find things people shouldn't have."

"But their our friends, too," Jo reminded the kids.

"Yeah, Kia's saved me a lot of times," Leo said.

"Now these dogs are trained-- bred-- for this job. They help people like we do. The only difference is they get paid in treats, and w get a salary," Jo said with a little laugh.

"This dog with me is Sam. Sam is five years old. I've known him since he was six weeks old, and he's been my partner for three years," Adam said, scratching Sam's ears.

"And Zing here isn't a real police dog yet. He and I are still in training. Zing gets to go with me places, and come home with me, but since he's only a year-and-a-half old, he hasn't graduated yet."

"And Kia..." Leo had Kia's leash hooked onto her, and let her jump out of the kennel.

"Whoa... Cool..." some kids said.

"Kia is three. I've had her for a year." Leo sat Kia by his side.

"These dogs have gone through so much training-- and so have we-- that they know all the commands in the book."

Some kids skeptically said, "Uh uh..." while giggling.

"No?" Leo asked.

"No!" the kids shouted.

"Okay... What can we do to prove this to you?" Jo asked.

"We'll need three volunteers." Hands shot up. "Um... Here, in the blue," Adam said. The girl stood up.

"How about... in the back? With the red shirt," Leo said. The boy stood.

"And... Right here, in the front."

The three kids came up front and stood by the dogs.

"What's your name?" Leo asked the girl.

"Lucy."

"Okay, Lucy, I need you to give Kia your hand."

Lucy stuck her hand out at the dog. Kia smelled her.

"Okay, now that she's got your scent, I'll just..." Leo turned her around. He pulled a blindfold from his pocket and blindfolded the dog, who sat motionless. "You run out in that yellow tube where no one can see you and hide inside of it."

Lucy ran off. Leo blindfolded the other two dogs.

"And you are..." Jo asked one of the two boys.

"Blake."

"Okay Blake. You run inside the truck. Here..." Jo led the little kid into the SUV and put him in the backseat, covering him with a blanket. "Now Zing won't know where he is."

"And you're..."

"Kevin," the second boy answered Adam.

"Kevin, you run as far as you can out into the field. Stop out by the monkey bars."

Kevin ran off. Leo took the blindfolds off of the dogs.

"Ready?" he asked Kia. He held up his hand. "Scent." Her ears perked up. She'd taken in a scent earlier. "Find it." Kia ran. The kids watched her run in the grass, her nose just above the ground. She circled the yellow tube Lucy was hiding in three times. Finally, the dog stuck her head in the tube and barked three times. She grabbed Lucy's shirt sleeve and pulled her out of the tube, thinking she was rescuing the person. They came back to the group.

"Good girl, Key," Leo said to the dog. He gave Lucy a dog treat. "Hold your hand out and let her take it," he instructed. Lucy did so, giggling as Kia took the treat. She sat down with her class, then.

"Sit, Kia," Leo said. She obeyed.

Next was Adam's turn. He instructed Sam with a hand command as well as a verbal one. "Sam, you ready?"

The eager dog barked once.

Adam told him what he was to look for. "You're goin' after a criminal, K Sam?"

Sam barked again.

"Go. Find him." Before Adam was finished, Sam took off, nose high in the air, opposite Kia's movements. He soon spotted Kevin and took off in the boy's direction.

He barked as he ran, and Adam whistled him back. Sam her to inspect Kevin first, but brought the boy back to them, obviously proud of himself.

"Sam," Adam said shortly. The dog's tail wagged furiously. He knew the tone Adam used. Flat. Simple. It meant a treat or play. Adam let Kevin give Sam the treat.

Last was Zing and Jo. Jo told Zing that he was finding a lost person. The young dog's nose went to work. He sniffed for humans around the car where Jo had led him. He scratched on the door, and Jo opened it. Zing leapt in. A second later, he barked.

A few moments later, the kids were lining up to pet the dogs. All three were sitting quietly, waiting for a command.

The kids got to pet each dog, a few squealing when Zing or Kia licked their hands. Sam nuzzled the many hands petting him, but didn't lick.

After the kids sat back down, teachers asked if they had any questions. Many hands flew into the air. Leo picked the first one.

"How old do the dogs have to be to work?"

"As long as they're over two, and under five, dogs can start working-- with the training, of course. The dogs at the S.F.P.D. just happen to all start working at two. They were picked from birth and trained from day one," Leo explained.

Adam picked another. "How much longer does Zing have to train?"

Jo picked that one up, saying, "Just another six months. He'll be a real police dog then."

One month, it had been, and the woman was looking better. Doctors predicted her awake before the end of the week. But anything was possible. There were three possibilities:

1: she wakes

2: she doesn't wake

3: she dies

"But we'll need a number to contact," a doctor was telling Rick.

"I'll take care of that. When she wakes."


	7. Chapter 7

"No, no, no, no, no. That _was not_ the way it happened," Leo said, catching his breath and laughing at the same time.

"Oh, so tell us, Oh Mighty One," Jo replied sarcastically, bowing dramatically, spreading his arms before him as he did.

"Okay..." Leo thought for a second. "...It was a dark and stormy night..." he started.

They all laughed. Lightning lit up the sky outside and, a second later, thunder clapped.

"Aw, c'mon, Leo!" Tom called from the back of the room.

Leo was covered in mud from head to toe, and Kia was lying in the corner of the room, just as wet and muddy. A stranger sat amongst them, looking to be the same state as Leo-- covered in water and mud.

The entire squad was there, no one wanting to go home in the rain yet. All who had families called them, and, just to be included, some called their siblings. They were all waiting for the rain to let up, and decided to find a way to pass the time.

So they sent someone outside.

In the rain.

At night.

"Okay, so I drew the shortest stick," Leo defended himself. "But I had the most fun, right?"

It'd been three months now, and there was little hope that Piper was alive. Leo hadn't seen Melinda in nearly five days, and wouldn't for another few.

The whole station was finding ways to keep Leo's mind far from Piper. They-- without Leo's knowing-- actually rigged the sticks for Leo to draw, knowing he'd had a hell of a time in the rain and might get him to smile.

And did it ever work.

"Yeah, yeah," a few said, trying to get the whole story from him.

"I think we're havin' more fun laughing at you," Jeff reminded Leo.

"Okay, okay," Leo held up his hands in surrender. "So, first thing I see when I walk outside..."

Leo walked outside and looked around. The door slammed shut behind him. Cowards_, he thought, taking a step out into the rain. Lightning flashed across the sky, and thunder followed carefully behind it, right on time._

The dogs barked from their kennels.

Figuring he'd better make the best of the situation, Leo walked toward the kennels. He reached a hand out toward where the A-frame was. He touched it, and took a step forward. There was too much mud there, and he slipped and fell. Struggling to get up, Leo walked again toward the kennels. He reached them and took another step.

Someone came up from behind him and grabbed his shoulder. He whirled around. A flashlight bobbed, and a person behind him screamed. She grabbed out aimlessly in Leo's direction and got his shoulder. They both fell to the ground. The woman scrambled away and fell back in the mud. The dogs barked.

"Who-- Who are you?" she stammered.

"Who am I? What the hell_ are you doing out here?"_

"Where?"

"At the police station!" Leo had to yell just to hear himself. "Wait-- who are you?"

"My name-- My name is--" Lightning struck and Leo saw her face. Thunder boomed behind it. She got a frustrated look and stuck out her hand. "Hi, I'm Kayla!" she screamed.

Leo shook her hand, but was mainly using it to hold himself up. She was doing the same. "What are you doing at a police station?"

"Getting lost!"

"Come with me!"

Leo led the way through the kennels and onto dry land. They went inside through a back door. In the light, Leo could see her much better. She had long dark hair that reminded him of Piper, and she was wearing jeans and a t-shirt that were now ruined. Her hair was down and soaked with mud and rain.

"Where am I again?"

"At the police station."

"Oh, good."

"Lucky you."

"What were you doing outside?" Kayla asked Leo.

"Taking a dare. We're rained in. How did you manage to get lost?"

"How else? I was camping and took a walk and started to pour. I got lost out there. I was lucky... Thank you. Are you an officer."

"Yeah. The name's Leo Wyatt."

"Kayla Cruise," she answered.

"Well, we've gotta go back out, 'cause this door to the main station is locked."

"Oh..."

"Coming?"

"Definitely."

Leo took Kayla's hand to be sure to have her behind him and opened the door. They set out into the rain again, walking along the fence and holding onto it for support.

But Kayla slipped and fell, and grabbed Leo, bringing him down with her. As they scrambled up, they both fell again in the mud, laughing too hard to even care much at all.

Some people screamed to them and Leo and Kayla turned around to see the rest of the station outside. They were right in front of the door, huddled around it under the porch-like roof that stuck out a good twenty feet over concrete.

"What is this, a brothel?" Jeff yelled. Leo looked down and saw himself laying over Kayla, both of them trying to catch their breath.

Tom held out his for Leo to take. Leo reached for it, but his cousin's hand slipped from his grip and Leo fell back into the mud back onto Kayla. She laughed and pushed Leo off of her. She sat up on her butt and turned over so she was on her hands and knees. She used Leo, who was sitting in the mud, to hold herself up, steadying herself with his shoulder. She took a wide step onto the concrete and was helped up fully by Cortez. She fell back on her butt on the concrete, laughing to hard to feel it.

Next was Leo's turn. He grabbed Ron and Jake's hands and they pulled him up onto the concrete.

"So no-- no brothel. Granted the situation, Jeff, I am still married," Leo commented when he finished his story.

Jeff didn't say anything, he was too busy laughing. He wouldn't have replied to Leo anyway, considering what he'd said. "So Kayla, looks like you're stuck with us, then."

"Well, my camp's been washed out..." Kayla trailed off.

"You got first rounds in the shower. I'll get in later," Leo said.

"Yeah, I got some clothes that'll fit you in my locker," Jo offered.

"Don't bother, Jo. I still got some of Piper's clothes," Leo said.

"No, it's fine--"

"I've been meaning to get rid of them anyway. Just haven't brought 'em home yet. You know where they are, Jo," Leo insisted.

Jo and Kayla went into the back. "I know it's none of my business, but who is Piper?" Kayla asked when they were out of earshot.

"Ah, Piper was-- is-- Leo's wife. She's been missing for about three months now. I guess Leo giving up some of her clothes just means he's... accepting the fact that she may not be alive."

"Oh... I-- I didn't mean--"

"It's okay. We don't bring it up, just think of ways to keep his mind off of her while he's at work." They turned left down a hall to the lockers. "And when _he_ brings it up, we don't press the issue."

"I understand why... You've got a locker with the others?"

"I'm one of three women on the squad. Yes, I do. They don't think any less of me, 'cause I will kick their asses, and they know it."

Kayla smiled.

"Oh, right here," Jo said. She turned the combination to Leo's locker and opened it.

"You guys give away your locker combos," Kayla observed.

"Ah, we're a family, what do we care? God, I remember this one time when some of the guys freaked when they found _underwear_ in my locker. _Underwear_, and they freaked."

"Well, that's how guys are."

"Yeah," Jo agreed with a little laugh.

"Hey, is that Piper?" Kayla asked, pointing to a picture on the inside of the locker door. She didn't dare touch it, though, for fear of getting it dirty. She was still covered in mud.

"Yeah. About... Mmm... six months ago. That's their little girl. Melinda. She's four."

"It must be terrible."

"It is for all of us, but Leo the most."

"I couldn't imagine how to live through something like that."

"Well, we get through it for Leo and Melinda. Take turns watching her sometimes, though she stays with one of her aunts mostly... Here..." Jo grabbed a pair of jeans and a long t-shirt from the locker. "Oh, and here," she added, closing Leo's locker and going to her own. She opened it and grabbed underwear and a bra. "You look my size."

"Thanks," Kayla said.

"Sure."

"The uh, showers are that way on the right. Don't get lost on the way back."

"I'll try."

Jo smiled and left and joined the others. She got filled in on their conversation just by listening for a second.

"So does this mean you're giving up?" came a voice.

"No," Leo said quietly. His smile was gone and the sparkle that lit up his eyes had faded. "I'll never give up. I'll just try to be... contented..."

"Happy? At ease? Relaxed? Satisfied? Leo, you've never been content with anything in your life. Why start now?" Ron asked.

"Have to, and because other things I could change. This..."

"Never mind."

"No, you wanted an answer... In the past, if I wasn't content with something, I'd change it. Because I could. Well, I'm _not_ content with this, but I can't really change it and bring her back, now can I?"

"Forget it, Leo. Don't get into it now," Adam said.

Leo closed his eyes and shook his head. "Fine."

A/N: Good news! I am not "Brat" Kern, or Dan Gordon, so Piper won't stay away long. All I can promise is she doesn't die. Yea! And Leo gets to vent later on. (I think you'll learn he has some anger management problems like... three or four chapters from now...) Hope you liked it. Oh, and the flashback thing was stupid, I know, but the basically same thing happened to me once and I had a good laugh with my friends, and I was out of ideas, so I used it.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Something I forgot to mention: No Jenny. That's how Dan has no sister. No siblings whatsoever, so no Jenny.

And just so you know, I did not get the name Dr. Carter from ER. I got it from my friend, when we used to play Doctor. Every kid goes through it, and if you didn't, it's never to late to play pretend.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Apparently doctors can be wrong. A week was not the right prediction. More like two. But, two weeks later, Rick stood in the back of the hospital room, staying away from the three doctors hovering around a coughing woman. They checked her vitals and asked her questions.

"Can you see straight?"

When she tried talking, her voice was too scratchy and hurt her throat, so she nodded.

"Okay, follow my finger." Dr. Carter waved her finger slowly back and forth and up and down in front of the woman's face. "Good, good."

"Can you breathe fine?"

She nodded.

"Good."

She leaned forward to cough again.

"Okay, do you know who you are?"

She nodded again.

"What's your name?"

"If-- I can't tell you that," she coughed out.

At that, Rick turned and left the room. No one seemed to notice.

"So you're gonna have like a big garage sale?" Phoebe asked.

"You guys can come clean it all out if you want," Leo answered.

"You sure you want to do this?"

Leo sighed. "I can't do it to Melinda anymore, lead her on like this. She may not understand, but she doesn't need to be lied to... And besides, she's been shuffled around for too long. She needs to find one place to stay and that's gotta be here."

"I'll pack up her room tomorrow, then..." Prue said.

"You uh... You mind if I hang around here for a few days?" Phoebe asked.

"Go ahead, there's the extra room."

"Thanks."

"Sure."

Melinda ran into the living room where the three adults were sitting. Andy was right behind her.

"Lookie!" she squealed, holding up a piece of paper with drawing on it. It was a free-hand drawn picture of three people and a dog. Above one was the word, "Mommy." The second, shorter one said, "Me." The third said, "Daddy." The dog said, "Kia." It looked like Melinda's four-year-old handwriting, with some assistance from Andy.

"Aw, look at that, is that you?" Leo asked, pointing to the picture that said, "Mommy" over it.

"No, siwy! That's Mommy!" she corrected him, giggling.

"Oh, well, no wonder. You look just like her. Only... shorter," he added. "Are you a leprechaun by any chance?"

"No, Daddy!"

"Oh, well there's an idea for a good Halloween costume. You could be an elf or a leprechaun," Phoebe suggested.

"Yeah! When is Hawoween?"

"Not for a while, honey," Prue answered.

Melinda pouted for a second, then brightened up as she ran off to her room again, babbling about adding a kitty to her picture.

"So you think I should follow her?" Andy asked.

"If you want to."

"Okay, then I will see you all later." Andy ran off after Melinda.

Prue smiled. Andy always had fun with Melinda.

"So..." Phoebe started, not sure of what to say.

"You gonna be at work all day, then?" Prue asked Leo.

"Yeah," he answered.

"Leo, you're a wonderful person and a devoted officer, but seriously, the more you work the less--"

"Just for the day, then Melinda can come back."

"So what, you're gonna devote all your time to her?"

"Yeah, something like that."

The phone rang, and Leo stood up to answer it. Prue and Phoebe stood up, too.

"Hey, it'll work out in the end," Prue assured him, pulling him down for a hug. Phoebe joined in, too.

Leo pulled away and went into the kitchen to answer the still ringing phone. Phoebe leaned against her sister, watching him leave.

Leo picked up the phone. "Hello?" he said into the speaker.

Rick, over in Oregon, heard someone pick up the phone and answer, and tried to sort everything out straight enough for Leo to understand.

"Leo Wyatt?"

"Yeah."

"My name is Rick Jackson. I'm with the Oregon E.P.A.--"

"Look, I already explained to the police up there and the Environmental Protection Agency, I can't get up there anymore. I did my job up there and I'm done--"

"Wait, what?"

"The police. You guys want me to come up there again?"

"...No... Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot you were an officer."

"What is this about?"

"I uh... It's kind of hard to explain. Do you have any relation to a Piper Wyatt?"

"Yeah, she-- Why?"

Rick took a breath. "Well, about a month and a half ago a woman stumbled into my office out in the forests. I brought her in to Peoria Memorial over here, and she was admitted as a Jane Doe. She uh, went into a coma a few days later and has been ever since. She asked me to contact you if anything happened, and she just woke about ten minutes ago. She didn't tell me much, just that her name is Piper Wyatt, she has a daughter... She gave me your name and this number. Anything ring any bells?"

"You're-- You're joking."

"Actually I'm not. I just thought you should come up here."

"Yeah-- Yeah, let me write this down." Leo grabbed a pen and paper. "Where exactly are you?"

"Peoria, Oregon. Zip code 18210. Peoria Memorial Hospital. It's at 1800 Evergreen Road," Rick said. "When's the soonest you can be up here?"

"Tomorrow morning."

"Okay."

"Thank you."

Leo hung up and ran into the living room.

"What? What is it?" Prue asked.

"That was uh, a ranger in Oregon... Uh... Rick Jackson."

"...So?"

"So he uh... It was all kinda blurred. All I know is they think Piper turned up there." Leo stumbled over his words.

"Wha-- What?"

Leo only nodded.

"Daddy, why are you going?" Melinda asked the next morning.

"Sweetie, Daddy just has to go away for a few days. You're still going to stay with Aunt Prue. And I'll be back, don't worry."

"Otay..."

"I love you."

"I wuv you, too."

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

A/N: OMG! Piper's back, kinda! Well, at least she's alive, huh? Whew! I wasn't sure if she was going to make it or not... But she's not out of the woods yet, remember that, folks! Something could still happen... da da da dum... I know I promised she wouldn't die, but that doesn't mean something _else_ can't happen to her...

PS: Sorry for any spelling mistakes, I didn't check this one as well...


	9. Chapter 9

"Leo Wyatt?" Rick asked, stepping up to Leo as he walked into the hospital's lobby.

"Where is she?"

"She's sleeping right now. We uh... We need to talk."

"Let me see her first--"

"Know anything about a Dan Gordon?" Rick cut Leo off.

Leo froze. He stared at Rick for a moment before answering. "What about him?"

"Well, in the day I got to know your wife, she mentioned Dan Gordon. Said not to tell about anything she told me he did--"

"What'd he do?"

"You uh... Should talk to a doctor first."

"Okay." Leo was willing to talk to anyone, so long as whoever he talked to could answer his questions.

Leo followed Rick into an elevator and up to the fifth floor. They went down a long hall past many rooms. They came to one where a doctor was standing on the outside of a room near the door.

"Dr. Carter," Rick addressed. "This is Leo Wyatt."

"It's about time Rick got someone down here. He hasn't spoken a word about Mrs. Wyatt 'till yesterday," the doctor said, shaking Leo's hand.

"For good reason... I hope you all understand what I had to do, and the fact that I can't tell you everything," Rick said.

"So long as it all settles out."

"It should. Doctor Carter, if you'll explain Piper's condition, and I'll explain the rest," Rick suggested.

"Okay."

"I'll be right back, then," Rick said, leaving.

"Okay, Mr. Wyatt--"

"Officer Wyatt." It was a natural reaction.

"Rick never mentioned that."

"Well, then."

"Officer, how are you related to Piper Wyatt? Brother?"

"She's my wife, now explain to me what happened."

"She--" Dr. Carter sighed. "There was some internal bleeding that we managed to control, but then we had to set her right leg. She was shot above her knee. There was torn muscle tissue in her leg and elbow... Hemorrhaging... Some serious lacerations on her back, legs, and arms..."

"All right, I hate doctors talking down on me cause I'm a cop, but I need you to talk down on me cause I'm a cop. Just give me the facts. Pure and simple." Leo was growing impatient.

"She's in critical condition. She's sleeping, but should be up soon. She has some cuts ranging from deep to paper cut. My guess is she was beaten... In my opinion, she'll be able to go home in a week at the least..."

After growing up with two brothers, working with other cops, and having a four-year-old daughter, Leo knew when someone was lying or holding back on something. "What aren't you telling me?" he asked.

"We... We did a mandatory rape test and came up positive… Did another test and we found that she was rape by five different men God knows how many times…"

Leo took in a sharp breath and turned around to face the wall for a second before turning back to Dr. Carter, trying to catch his breath.

"Is she--"

"We did numerous pregnancy tests over the time she was here, and each of them came up negative. Either they used protection--which is highly unlikely--or she's just lucky."

"Oh, thank God," Leo whispered, more to himself than the doctor.

"And just so you know, she was lucky, too, because we found no traces of any STD's in her bloodstream, and we did many tests."

"Thank you... Can I see her?" Leo asked after a moment's silence.

"As soon as she wakes."

"Okay."

Dr. Carter went into Piper's room to check on her as Rick came back up. The blinds were down, so Leo couldn't see her.

"Want the full story from me or her?" Rick asked.

"Her, then I want what you know."

"Well, after that, you'll need to talk to the police here."

"Fine. I need to uh... I have to make a few phone calls."

"To who?"

"My station."

"There's no need--"

"Yes, there is. I want a few of my guys up here."

"Like--"

"Like a few officers from my precinct. My brothers, for one."

"I'm not sure what that'll do--"

"I need them here and so does Piper. I'm not staying here for a week without people I know up here to help me... And I need to contact someone to take care of my daughter and arrest Dan, now if you'll excuse me..." Leo picked up a hospital phone and dialed the number to his precinct. Adam answered.

"San Francisco 12th Precinct."

"Adam."

"Leo?"

"Hey, look, I need Cortez, Jo, Tom, Jeff, my brothers, and my dad up here ASAP."

"Up here? Leo, where are you?"

"...I'm in Oregon. Surprise, surprise..."

"What is it?"

"Look, I just need you to send them to this address." Leo gave Adam the address and location to find the hospital. "I need you to send them here now. And I mean _right now_."

"What's going on, Leo?"

"Then I need you to call Prue and Phoebe and tell them I won't be home for at least a week, so tell Prue to take care of Melinda... I'm gonna need to take some personal days, Adam."

"Leo, what the hell is going on?" Adam asked again.

"We uh... Piper turned up."

Adam nearly fell out of his seat at the station. "What? Oh my God. Is she... Is she alive?" he asked cautiously, almost afraid of the answer.

"Yeah." Leo looked around nervously, waiting for the doctor to come up and say Piper was awake. "I haven't seen her yet, though."

"I'll--I'll--I'll call them and send them all out right away."

"Thanks Adam. Oh, and call the Oregon E.P.A. to get a hold of me. Ask for Rick Jackson."

"Okay. I'll call you when they're leaving."

"Thanks."

"Hey, Leo, tell Piper we love her."

"I will."

"And bring her home safely."

"Promise."

Leo hung up and turned around to meet Dr. Carter and Rick. "What?"

"She's awake," Dr. Carter informed Leo.

"Can I..."

"Go ahead."

Rick and Dr. Carter stayed back as Leo went into Piper's room. As far as he could see, she was asleep. Her eyes were closed and she seemed to almost not want to wake up. Monitors quietly beeped out her heartbeat. There were a few nearly healed cuts on her face and her hair was tucked behind one shoulder, rolling off of it. Someone had come in and brushed it out.

"Piper," he said quietly, breaking the silence.

****

A/N: Cliffy, cliffy, cliffy! Nanny, nanny, boo, boo! I'm _evil!! Vanquish me!_ Moahahahahaha! Eh he he he he ::smiles at own evilness::

There's one thing I need to get in the open here: If you guys want, this could be the last chapter of Home Sweet Home. I could end it all here, or I could keep going into Dan's arrest and interrogation and getting better and all…

Now if I end it here, I can post another story similar to this one, only different. It's an alternate story of this one, not really a sequel. If I made this other story a sequel, it would basically screw everything up, and I've already written like thirty-some pages of it.

So it's up to you. Do I continue or do I stop and make another? I'll wait a couple of weeks to see for sure. Now what I mean by stopping here is that's kind of how other shows do it, you know? Like the last Season 6 episode of Charmed, certain FRIENDS episodes, and other TV shows. I think this is an okay place to stop, but if I have to, I can continue, though that would mean no posting my alternate version of this one until this story is over… It would get too confusing for me to have to write them both at the same time.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Is it the story you guys love, or is it just me? Anyway, since I know the second reason isn't true, here's your next chapter! (you guys are soooooooooo lucky...)

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Piper's eyes shot open. "Oh my God. Leo?"

"Hey baby," he whispered, making his way over to the bed.

"Leo when did--What are you doing here?"

"Rick called me," Leo answered.

"Rick..." Piper groaned. "The doctors say I was in a coma for six weeks."

"I know." Leo knelt beside her.

Emotions surged through him like never before. He was relieved that she was okay and happy that she was safe, ecstatic just to see her awake and talking. But he was scared to know what happened and angry, knowing it was Dan who did this to her, and he felt guilty thinking that there were ways that it could have been prevented. If he had been with her the day she disappeared... He wanted to know what happened, but was again afraid to know. He didn't think he would be able to get through it, if Piper barely had. And he was hopeful for the future and better days, but that was far from being in their grasp.

"I feel like crap..." Piper muttered.

Leo had to smile at the face Piper had, the pouting face. There was a deep cut on her forehead that seemed to be healing. Her leg was up and in a cast and her arm was in a cast, too. She was huddled under a blanket.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing."

"You're lying."

"Piper..." Leo started.

"Tell me."

"You don't want to know."

"Leo, try me. I haven't heard your voice or seen your face in three months, but I always know when you're lying."

Leo sighed. "...For so long, I pictured the last... the last time I would ever see you..."

"...Oh, and when would that be? My memory is all fuzzy," Piper said. The truth was that she was too afraid to remember the day she was taken.

"That night, three months ago."

When Piper didn't answer, Leo continued to describe the day.

"You were fussing over Melinda. She wouldn't get into the bath..." Leo smiled. "She fought you for a long time."

"...I remember that..."

"And you finally got her in and out of the bath and into bed and decided to go out for a drive."

"You asked where I was going..." Piper remembered.

"And you said you were going to Prue's, and didn't want Melinda alone."

"Right, I remember that..."

"So I stayed behind, and you left and that was it."

Piper said nothing for a long moment. "Did you picture the next time, too?" she asked quietly.

"Besides that? ...Yes."

"And was that here, in a hospital? Or on the doorstep one morning? Or--"

"In a casket, maybe?"

Piper was silent.

Leo took Piper's good hand in his, turning it over and over in his hands as if there were some hidden picture in it. "...At first, I thought about you turning up on the doorstep. That turned out to be no good, so I gave up and pictured this, or... something like this. In a hospital, only you were ready to go home and... Then there was the driving along and you were on the side of the road... But yeah, this past couple of weeks I pictured the casket and the cemetery..." Leo nodded.

"I'm sorry…"

"Piper, you didn't do anything wrong."

"I--I shouldn't have left... I should have stayed home..."

"No, Piper, it's not your fault. You did nothing wrong."

Piper shook her head to stop him. "We're lucky."

"I know."

"The uh... Leo I remember everything… And they didn't just keep me away from you guys… They did… terrible things…"

"They raped you," Leo concluded.

Piper nodded.

Leo wasn't in any better state than Piper. There was a lump in his throat keeping him from talking so he only managed to nod back. After a long silence, he managed to speak. "...You uh... You're not pregnant, if that's what you were getting at."

"Yeah, it was."

"And you're not sick, either."

It was Piper's turn to nod again.

Leo felt as if he was about to faint. He figured there would be doctors surrounding him and trying to bring him back to life any minute. Here she was, the beautiful, lively woman he knew and loved, broken. She was hurt and broken, and there was almost no coming back from that.

Just three months ago she was walking out the door going to see her sister. She was alive and bright and beautiful. She'd tackled the terrible task of putting Melinda down for the night, and came out alive. She'd analyzed her life and was happy with it. She had a home, a family of her own, her family, her husband and his family.

Rick was at the door then. "Officer Wyatt, there's a Chief Adam Hazel on the phone for you."

"Yeah, okay." Leo nodded. He turned to Piper. "I'll be back, I promise."

Piper nodded in response. "I love you," she told him for the first time in months.

Leo smiled. Her words were music to his ears. He bent and kissed the top of her head, brushing his hand across her cheek. "I love you, too," he whispered to her. He straightened and followed Rick out.

"Over there," Rick directed.

Leo got to the hospital phone in the lobby and picked it up. "Adam," he said quickly.

"Hey, Leo, they're on a plane."

"Quick. Thanks."

"Hey, how is she? She up?"

"I uh..." Leo took in a deep breath. "I just talked to her," he said with a small smile. "...There're some problems, though, Adam..." he said after taking a breath in.

"What kind of problems?"

It was hard to say, but Leo knew he had to tell Adam. "She uh..." Leo closed his eyes. "He raped her, Adam."

"What?"

"Yeah, Dan and four of his buddies is my guess. But the doctor said it was five different people for sure."

"Oh God, Leo, I'm so sorry."

"Yeah, me too."

"...What're you gonna do?"

"I'm gonna kill him, is what."

Adam sighed. "Don't do anything stupid, Leo. Wait 'till you get back here to murder anyone," he warned.

"Just keep an eye on him, Adam. I wanna arrest him myself."

"When is that?"

"When I get back with Piper. A week, hopefully. Keep some _seriously_ close tabs on him."

"Can do. Keep be updated."

"I will. Thanks."

"Oh and Prue said she won't tell Melinda. It wouldn't be fair to tell her her mom is coming back and then make her wait."

"No, it wouldn't…"

"But they send their love."

"Thanks." Leo hung up the phone. He sighed. Rick was standing behind him when he turned around. "What?"

"You have people on the way?"

"Yes, they'll be here in a couple hours. I'll pick them up."

"Okay."

"Do you have a problem with them being here?"

"It's just not normal procedure."

"Well then consider this abnormal. If they can't come up here, I bring my wife back to San Francisco and she stays in a hospital there. I don't need to stay here, and neither does she. I would bring her sisters up here if I could. Her aunt, her cousin, my ex-boss--anyone. If it's against procedure, then the procedure's gonna have to change."

Rick held up his hands in surrender. "Okay, I get it. You don't have to bite my head off."

"Sorry, I... This is just all..."

"I get it. Sorry."

"Yeah."

Leo stayed out of Piper's room for a full two hours. He couldn't go back in there. It broke his heart to see her that way. He had decided to wait until Cortez Jo, Jeff, Tom, Ron, Jake, and Gary got there.

When they did, they called his cell phone.

"Hey, Leo. Wow, I can't believe this thing works out here..." Cortez trailed off.

"Cut to the point. You at the airport?"

"Yup. Ready and waiting. We can stay for a week, all of us."

"Good. I'll be there in a minuet in an E.P.A. car."

"We'll be waiting."

Leo flipped his cell phone closed. He saw Rick's car keys on the table the to of them were sitting at in the lobby. "I need your car," he said, taking the keys and turning for the door. He was definitely in a hurry.

Rick jumped up and caught up to Leo. "I'll drive."

"No, I need it now."

"Wait, Wyatt, you can't take my car--"

Leo whirled around. "The only person who calls me Wyatt is going to die very, very soon, so I'm warning you right now to find something else to call me." Leo turned back to the door and walked outside.

Rick rolled his eyes and tossed his head sarcastically. He chased Leo down again. "Okay, I'll try this again," he said, having to jog to stay ahead of Leo and keep his attention. "_Leo_, you can't take my car," he said as Leo got into the SUV.

"I just did."

Cortez, Jo, Tom, Jeff, Gary, Jake, and Ron crowded around the SUV as soon as Leo pulled up. When he stepped out, Jo was first to the door. She hugged him tightly. "Hi," was all she said, though.

"Leo, where'd you get the car?" Jake asked.

"Borrowed it," Leo answered simply. He waited as one by one, they all hugged him.

"So how is she?"

"Uh... Adam didn't call you?"

"No, why?"

Leo took a deep breath. "He uh... He wasn't alone. There were four people with him..."

"What?"

"And uh... He beat her more than once... She's cut up real bad and bruised. She was shot above the knee... she has a broken leg and arm... and there was uh... one other thing."

"What?"

"He beat her," Leo said. Some of them nodded. "He beat her, then he turned around and he raped her."

"What?"

"Oh my God."

"I'm gonna kill the bastard. That's all there is to it. I'm gonna kill him," Gary said simply.

"Uh, no. I already got dibs on him. Adam's keeping track of him for me so I can arrest and murder him on the spot."

"Very good. Very smart."

"Have you talked to her?" Jo asked.

"Once. I haven't gone in there since. Been talking to the ranger who owns this," Leo said as he helped pack the others' bags in the trunk of the E.P.A. car. He felt one of them and looked at Cortez. "How the hell did you get a gun on the plane?"

"I'm a cop. I have my ways."

Leo smiled a little and shook his head. When they were finished packing in, they started to fit in the SUV. "Seats eight, you're all lucky."

"Yeah, yeah."

"How's she look?" Tom asked Leo.

"Beat up... She's broken."

"She'll be okay, though, right?"

"I hope so."

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

A/N: I will continue, but only for a few more chapters, 'cause I think I can wrap it up in about... oh, four or five more chapters… Long chapters… That means week long delays or so… Bear with me people, and remember--YOU are the ones who wanted me to continue, so if it sucks, poo poo for you!


	11. Chapter 11

Piper had to stay for a week before she was allowed to go home, so Leo and the others stayed at a nearby hotel, splitting up into four rooms, two people in each. Jo offered to take a room with Leo, who didn't object. Jake and Ron took a room, while Tom and Jeff took another. Gary and Cortez took the last room.

Leo laid on the bed on his back, staring up at the ceiling. Jo walked into the room quietly. She watched him for a moment before saying, "You know none of it was your fault, right?"

Leo sat up just enough to look at her. "Don't say that."

"It wasn't."

"Jo…"

"Well, Leo, it wasn't, and you know it." Jo sighed. "None of it was your fault. It was Dan who took her, not you, Leo."

"It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter what you say. It's still my fault."

"L--"

"I shouldn't have let her go…"

"What, go to her sister's? That had nothing to do with you."

"Fine, Jo. Fine."

"Leo…"

()()()()()

Piper wanted to go home so bad, but she was scared. She missed her sisters and her daughter terribly, but she was afraid of what they would think…

"Leo, I don't think I can do this," she said, sitting up in her hospital bed the day before they were supposed to leave. "It just… I can't go back home…"

"Piper, you can't stay here. Your sisters… Melinda… They're all back home," Leo coaxed.

"Melinda…" Piper smiled. "I miss her so much…"

"Just another couple of weeks, then you can see her."

Piper nodded. "Do we have to fly?"

"It's the quickest way home. We'll all go."

"…I wanna go home," Piper whispered.

()()()()()

The flight home was short, but it seemed to drag on forever. Piper slept most of the way, leaning up against Leo. She was never out of his sight. Prue and Phoebe were at the airport.

They came through the crowd, Piper limping heavily, leaning on Leo for support. They made their way slowly up to the two Halliwell sisters, who were frozen in place.

Piper looked up at her sisters, her eyes glazed over with tears.

"Piper…?"

Piper smiled a little and nodded slightly. She took a step forward on her own, and Leo stepped back as her sisters hugged her, careful not to hurt her.

"Oh my God, Piper…" Phoebe sobbed.

()()()()()

Piper woke with a jolt, breathing hard. She looked at the digital clock on the bed stand, only to notice that it was two o'clock in the morning. She was hot and sweating, and it made the blanket on her feel sticky. Her whole body was shaking. She tried to control her breathing, but was sobbing uncontrollably, making it hard to breathe. She couldn't stop crying. She felt so terrible right then. The dreams...

Then the terrible feeling started to subside. She felt a hand fall lightly on her shoulder, another gently pulling the hair back from her face. She could feel her leg throbbing now, though. She was still sobbing, taking in deep gulps of air for breath. Tears streamed down her face. The hand on her shoulder moved to her back, holding her up so that she didn't fall, and rubbing it in an effort to calm her down. Her hair had been pushed back behind her shoulders now, and the other hand was stroking her hair behind her head.

"Shh... Piper, calm down... It's okay..." a voice whispered.

Piper cried and sobbed. She took in a deep breath and found it was hard to breath. She tried again, getting a little air. "No! No, it's not!" she managed to get out, despite the shortness of breath.

"Shh... Piper..." Leo soothed. She buried her face in her hands and he pulled her closer to him.

She kept crying, and stayed in his embrace. She felt safer, and soon could breath easier. She could feel his arms wrap around her, one still wrapped around her back to hold her close to him, the other closer to her face, wiping her tears away with his thumb. He let her cry, knowing she needed to.

Finally, after long minutes, her tears subsided. She was asleep in his arms, a sob escaping her lips here and there. Her arms were wrapped around his neck and waist. She was curled up against his chest, finally asleep.

__

Great... Leo thought. He finally got her to calm down, and he couldn't move. Still, he held onto her, Piper the only thing on his mind, and made sure she slept as peaceful as possible throughout the night, though he got no sleep.

Piper woke the next morning, her leg still throbbing. She hadn't said anything about it to Leo earlier that morning, since she could barely talk, but now it hurt, and there were no other feelings or sobs to drown out the pain.

Piper whispered for Leo, but didn't reach for him, knowing he wasn't in bed.

Leo came into the room from where he'd been watching in the doorway. Piper smiled. She'd only been home again for a few days, and hadn't seen Melinda yet--she wouldn't for another week--though she'd seen her sisters.

"You okay?"

"No." Piper shook her head a little and found it was throbbing, too.

"What do you need?"

"It hurts..." Piper mumbled.

Leo knew instantly what she needed and had it beside the bed on the dresser. Piper, with Leo's help, sat up and took the two pills. The painful throbbing and her headache went away slowly.

"Better?" Leo asked.

"Much, thank you." She smiled.

"You sure you're gonna be okay, Piper?" Leo, who was sitting on the edge of the bed, looked down at Piper, lying on her side. He brushed some stray strands of hair from her face. "You can go back to the hospital if you want to."

Piper shook her head a little. "It'll never be okay... It can only get better, though, right?" She smiled again, a hopeful smile.

Leo nodded a little. "Right."

So now he had to break it to her. "Piper... They want you to go in... Just for a lineup."

"What?"

"You're the key witness. The only one who can connect Dan to yourself solidly," Leo explained.

"Leo, I--I can't," Piper whimpered, her voice trembling.

"I'll be there. So will your sisters. And Adam, Cortez, Jo, you name it. I could even call in a favor and bring _Rick_ down here. Besides, Dan won't be able to see you," Leo reminded. He couldn't imagine how hard it was for her.

"I--"

"With you, he'll be gone--for good."

Piper sighed. "When is it?"

"In two days. Today I have to arrest him interrogate. It's procedure."

"And--"

"And Prue and Phoebe will be here, yes."

Piper sighed again and nodded.

****

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

A/N: It'll be a little bit before my next update, so savor. Savor.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: **It has certianly been a while, huh? I scribbled (don't ask how you can scribble on a computer, but it can be done...) this out and here it is! I've got a few scrambled ideas for this fic, but nothing major, so I'm really...I'm really something, but I'm not sure what yet...Hope you enjoy!**

The next morning, Leo called Phoebe and Prue to come over and stay with Piper. They agreed, and Prue said that Melinda was staying with Andy. That was good, because Leo didn't want Melinda to see her mother until Piper was better. She would still be in a cast, but most of her cuts would be healed, and she wouldn't look as bad as she had when Leo saw her for the first time in the hospital. He didn't want Melinda to see Piper like that. Piper didn't want her daughter to see her like that, either.

_(station)_

Leo walked into the station, and was immediately swarmed by people. They all wanted to know about Piper. He could finally speak clearly when they backed away.

"She is alive, she's at home right now. She's hurt--her pride and her spirit, too--but she'll be fine, I hope."

"What're you gonna do?" Adam asked.

"I'm going to find Dan Gordon and have a heart-to-heart."

"You can't kill him, Leo."

"The hell I can't."

"No, think about it. If you kill him you end it for him. It's too easy. And it'd be premeditated crime. That's harder to defend. If you arrest him--do not beat him up, just arrest him, otherwise he'll charge you with assault. You need him alive. Get him into prison. He can suffer there."

Leo only nodded.

"Promise me."

"The only way I can promise you I won't kill him is if you don't let me go."

"We'll follow you."

_(time lapse)_

"Where is he?" Leo's voice came over the dispatch radio. His family--everyone but his mother--, Adam, and Cortez were following in their own cars.

"Up three blocks. First blue house on the right," Adam's voice sounded.

"K."

Leo flicked a couple of switches, and his lights and siren went on. He could hear the other cars doing the same. Cars on the road pulled over to the side as they drove past, not stopping at red lights and stop signs.

Leo pulled up to the first blue house on the right, stopping right in front of it, leaving the lights on. The other cars surrounded the house. Leo made a beeline for the door and pounded on it. Nothing.

"Police! Open up!"

Still, nothing.

Leo tried the door. It opened. Glancing back at the others and nodding for them to follow, he pulled out his gun and disappeared inside the house. He searched the living room he was in before turning the corner into the hallway. He was immediately thrown backward into the hallway wall. He refocused just in time to dodge a fist to his face. There was a howl of pain as the fist connected with the wall.

Leo recognized the person to be Dan Gordon, and remembered what he was there to do instantly. Before Dan even realized it, he was on the ground with Leo over him. There was a gun in his face.

That was the moment that the others chose to come in. Adam was the first inside, and the first to see Leo about to pull the trigger. "Leo!"

Adam pulled Leo away as Dan was held back. Leo had given specific orders long ago to let him cuff Dan.

As Adam pulled his friend into the hallway, he took the gun away from him. Leo was trembling. He was angry, too. He wanted to pull the trigger.

"Hey, get a grip, Leo. He's done. It's over."

Leo nodded a little. Adam held out his handcuffs and Leo snatched them and went back into the living room. He recited the Miranda Rights as he roughly pulled Dan into handcuffs. "Dan Gordon, you are under arrest for attempted murder, assault, rape--" he pulled Dan up "--and you are officially my least favorite person," he finished as he pulled Dan outside and shoved him into the car, not caring that Dan's head hit the top of the door. Leo slammed the back door and reminded, "Oh yeah. Don't hit your head." As soon as the door closed, he sighed.

It was a few moments before Leo could move. He stood against the house for support. Gary walked up to him.

"Ready to go?"

Leo looked up at his dad. "It's over, right?"

Gary nodded solemnly. "Yeah, Son, it is…It's finally over…" He patted his son's shoulder before leading him to his car.

A/N: **Okay, guys...I've made the decision...The next chapter will be posted Sunday or Monday, but hopefully no later than Tuesday...I already have it written out--I have had it for a long time, now--but I need to reread and check it over and add some things...**

**Oh, you are all so gonna hate me... ::winces::**

**The next chapter...is the last. ::don't hurt me!::**

**I know, it's horrible, but the next chapter will be the last one, yes. I have a few more pages written out, but it's all crap. If you want to read a little bit more (though I will not post it) then please email me, and I'd be happy to send my little portion to you. It's just a few pages that would be Piper identifying Dan at the station, and cutting a deal with the D.A. Nothing much.**

**The main reason I'm cutting this off is that I'm out of ideas. I can't go into the trial or anything like that--it's too complex for me--but I can give you all a good ending. Just wait and see, and please don't hate me!**


	13. Chapter13

A/N: I wanna send a big thanks to everybody who reviewed throughout the story. I also want to thank those who made this chapter possible by threatening and begging me and yelling at me to make me continue when I thought about stopping the story. Thanks again, everybody!

The song is property of LeAnn Rimes and Associates, but since she and I go way back (yeah, right), she said I could use the song. (If I was telling the truth and I really knew LeAnn rimes, I wouldn't be living in Springfield, Illinois, I would live in Hollywood…)

Okay, this chapter is based off of LeAnn Rimes' "How Do I Live?" I was listening to it in my room and I thought it worked out real well...And since this is the last chapter of this fic, that means I can start my next one! (Not a sequel, but more like...like an alternate version)

Here's your happy ending, people. Enjoy. There's a 2-month time lapse between Chpt12 and this one…

****

How do I get through the night without you?  
If I had to live without you  
What kind of life would that be?  
Oh, I need you in my arms, need you to hold  
You're my world, my heart, my soul  
If you ever leave, baby you would take away everything good in my life

"Melinda, bring her over here," Piper called.

"Otay." Melinda grabbed Kia by the collar and pulled the dog, who was as big as her, over to Piper. "Here, Mommy."

"Thank you. You play with that dog any more and the station will be forcing us to give her back because we loved her too much."

Melinda smiled. She loved having Kia living with them. "So...Mommy?"

"Yes, Honey?"

"I gots a question," Melinda said quickly.

"What's that?"

"I...I can ask you anyting, wite?"

"Right."

"Well...You's not leaving again, aw you?"

Piper smiled. She ruffled her daughter's hair. "Never."

"Otay...Mommy?"

"What?"

"…Where was you?" Melinda asked, touching upon a subject she was afraid to ask about.

And tell me now  
How do I live without you?  
I want to know  
How do I breathe without you?  
If you ever go  
How do I ever, ever survive?  
How do I, how do I, oh how do I live?

Piper took in a sharp breath. She thought about an answer. Luckily she didn't have to come up with one, because as she stood up straight, Leo came up from behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Mommy had to finish some business that took a long time," he answered for Piper, who smiled.

"...Oh." Melinda ran back into the house with Kia.

"Where're you off to?" Piper called.

"Dwawing a pichure!" Melinda pulled the heavy sliding door open and closed it behind her.

Piper smiled and held Leo's arms against her chest as she leaned her back into him. She sighed.

Without you, there'd be no sun in my sky  
There would be no love in my life  
There'd be no world left for me  
And I, baby I don't know what I would do  
I'd be lost if I lost you  
If you ever leave, baby you would take away everything real in my life

"You okay?"

"Perfect. I'm perfect."

"You sure?"

"Leo, nothing could be better."

"Good." Leo leaned his head down and kissed Piper's shoulder. "I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too," Piper answered. Leo kissed her neck twice and moved up to her cheek. He turned her around to face him slowly. She looked up into his eyes and smiled. He kissed her softly and she willingly parted her lips and let the kiss continue. When they finally pulled away, Piper smiled again. "And they lived happily ever after?" she whispered.

"Or...something like that..."

And tell me now  
How do I live without you?  
I want to know  
How do I breathe without you?  
If you ever go  
How do I ever, ever survive?  
How do I, how do I, oh how do I live?

They smiled. Melinda came running out with her newly drawn picture. It was of her, Leo, Piper, and Kia all standing together. In her little kid handwriting, she had written, "My Family", copying the spelling off of other pictures she had drawn with help from an adult. "For you, Mommy," she said proudly, handing the paper to Piper. "So even if you _do_ leave again, you can wemembuh us…" she added quietly.

Please tell me baby, how do I go on?  
If you ever leave, baby you would take away everything  
I need you with me  
Baby don't you know that you're everything good in my life?

Piper picked Melinda up and the little girl clung to her mother's neck. Piper showed the picture to Leo with one hand, her other around her daughter. He smiled.

"How about now?" Piper asked.

"Now? Sure. I'll settle for Happily Ever After," Leo agreed. Piper smiled.

Melinda jumped down from her mother's arms and wrapped one arm around Leo's leg, one around Piper's. Piper stood against Leo, resting her head against his chest. He held one arm around her, his other around Melinda's shoulders.

"I love you, Daddy," Melinda whispered. "And I love you, too, Mommy."

And tell me now  
How do I live without you, I want to know,  
How do I breathe without you?  
If you ever go, how do I ever, ever survive?  
How do I, how do I, oh how do I live?

Piper smiled and looked down at Melinda, but she didn't move or speak. She couldn't talk. A single tear ran down her cheek and she wrapped both of her arms around Leo's neck to hold him tighter.

How do I live without you?  
How do I live without you baby?

A/N: Better?


End file.
